Electric attachment plug receptacle



Nov. 11,1941. w, SHENTQN 2,262,712 ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEPTACLE Filed 0012. 8, 1940 I ra [raven Z02" THOMAS W. SHENTON Patented Nov. 11, 1941- ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEPTACLE Thomas Vii. Shenton, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to The Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October- 8, 1940, Serial No. 369,323

C1aims.

This invention relates to electric attachment plug receptacles. More particularly, it relates to a duplex electric attachment plug receptacle constructed so that it may be wired from the side or through the bottom.

It is an object of the invention to provide means to enable an electric attachment plug receptacle to have the bared end of a conductor wire connected to it either at the side or by insertion through an aperture in the bottomyor of the feed wires to spaced or separated termi-.

nal portions of contact and terminal members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting strap or bridge for a receptacle of the above type, which will be remote from the ends of the conductor wires at the points where they enter the receptacle and which at the same time will be completely insulated from the current carrying parts of the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawingof the body. A central transverse wall It physically separates one end of each of the contact and terminal members from the other end.

Referring more particularly to the construction of the combined contact and terminal members, it will be noted that there are contact portions and 22 located at opposite ends and seated in substantially rectangular pockets or recesses 24 at opposite ends of the receptacle on the same side of the spine H. The contact portions are of conventional form, being Provided with pairs of contact fingers 20 facing one another and a third contact finger 20 facing at right angles to the other fingers in order that the contact portions may make contact with the prongs of an attachment plug cap of either tandem or parallel blade type. The combined contact and terminal members also have terminal portions 26 and 28 which extend along the side of the bottom part [0 of the receptacle body. These terminal potrions are of flat, plate-like form and are formed integrally with the contact portions. Terminal portions at opposite ends, however, are connected by a destructible bridge l8 which is attached to or formed integral with I the terminal portions and extends over the top of the transverse wall I6. Preferably the whole Fig. 1 is a plan view of a receptacle embodying the principles of the invention with the cover portion removed;

Fig. 2 is an interior plan view of the cover portion;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the contact and terminal members and its associated clamp ing devices;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the invention partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing. the insulating body having a bottom part 10 and a top part I2 is recessed for the accommodation of identical combined contact and terminal members, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 3. These contact and terminal members, when within the receptacle body, are separated by a central portion or spine combined contact and terminal member is formed as a single stamping from sheet metal. The joint between the bridge l8 and the terminal portions 26 and 28 may be scored as at 30 to facilitate breaking away of the bridge from the terminal portions. Also, to facilitate this breaking, a slot 32 may be formed in the bridge I8 for the reception of the end of the screw driver which may thereby be used to bend the bridge and cause it to break away from the terminal members.

In order that the terminal portions may remain in position when pressure is applied to them as the feed wires are connected thereto, tongues 50 extend from the upper edges of the terminal portions into pockets 52 provided therefor in the cover part of the receptacle body. At their bottom edges the inside surfaces of the terminal me'rnbersabut shoulders 54 on the floor of the bottom of the receptacle body. By this means the terminal portions are supported at both their top and bottom edges.

Bored through the bottom face of the bottorn part of the receptacle body are four apertures, such as 34 and 36. Through these apertures the bared ends of feed wires may be insertecLin position to be clamped between. the

M running longitudinally of the bottom part 55 inside face of a'terminal portion (for exam- I I p entering the bottom of the receptacle.

ple, terminal portion 28) and a clamping member 40. from sheet metal into substantially H-form, with its ends or armsbent toward the inner face of the terminal member. Identical clamp members 40 are provided for each terminal portion, In

order to move the clamp member 40 toward the, terminal, there is provided in each terminal portion a terminal screw 4| 'whose shank passes through the terminal portion, for example 28, to take into a threaded aperture in the central portion of the clamp member. the bared end of the feed wire inserted through one oranother of the apertures, for example 34, can be clamped tightly between. the clamping member 40 and the terminal member 28 as the terminal screw is tightened.

In order that the ends of feed wires may be When the wire-man presses upon the terminal screw as hetries to twist it or back it In this manner,

The clamping member 40 may be stamped In order that the device may be polarized, a

raised tongue 10 is provided on the top of one side of the transverse barrier l6 (see Fig. 1) and a suitable recess 12 of like form to the tongue 10 is provided in the underside of the cover portion of the receptacle body (see Fig. 2). Also for polarization, the top of the casing may be provided with dissimilar slots for the prongs of an attachment plug cap.

From the foregoing, it may be observed that the invention is adapted for a variety of uses. It may be used in the same manner-as a conventional side-wired duplex attachment plug receptacle, or it may be used asa bottom-wired duplex attachment plug receptacle, or it may be used as both a side and bottom-wired duplex attachment plug receptacle, or it may be used 1 wire which the receptacle may be designed to receive.

out of the clamp member, his effort will cause the clamp member to push against the ledge 42 and stop, whereupon the turning or backing out of the terminal screw will cause the head of that screw to move away or outwardly from the ter- 3 minal member topermit the end of a feed wire I to be wrapped around the shank beneath the- 1 terminal screw head. This permits the device to be wired from the side (commonly called side-wiring) in the same manner as c0nventional attachment plug receptacles now on the market. At the same time, it will be possible to wire the device by insertion of the bared end of therefor in the bottom part of the receptacle body, as hereinbefore described. Since the connection of feed wires 'to the conducting parts of the receptacle by the side-wiring or bottomwiring methods is alternative, this invention has a wide field of usage.

Since the invention provides for bottom-wir- 3 ing, it is desirable to keep the supporting bridge 50 away from the bared ends of the feed wires to provide for this (see Fig. 2), I form the top part of the receptacle body with a channel running lengthwise thereof and receiving the mid- 1 portion of the bridge 60. This mid-portion preferably is straight and flat, being stamped from sheet metal and provided with enlarged end porwhich the bridge may be secured within an outlet box in the usual manner. The seating of In this conthe feed wire through the aperture provided In order tions 62 having apertures therein by means of as a two-circuit duplex attachment plug receptacle of either side orbottom-wired type, by breaking away the connecting bridge I8. The provision of separate clamping devices not only insures that each feed wire may be held very securely in position, independently of the engagement of other feed wires with other parts of the terminal member, but also enables the device to be used as a two-circuit bottom-wired receptacle when the connecting bridge I 8 is broken away.

Mo'difications within the scope of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore I do not limit it to the specific embodiment described and illustrated. I

I claim:

1. An attachment plug receptacle comprising an insulating body having top and bottom portions recessed to receive contact members, com bination contact and terminal members of opposite polarity received Within said body in insulated relation and having their terminal portions extending along opposite sides of said body; terminal screws in said' terminal portions in position for side-wiring of the receptacle, said bottom portion having apertures for insertion of the bared ends of feed wires. clamp members within said body moved by said terminal screws to grip said bared ends between said clamp members and the inside surface of said terminal por-.

' tions recessed to receive contact members, combination contact and terminal members of opposite polarity received Within said body in nsulated relation and having their terminal portions extending along opposite sides of said body. each of said member having a plurality of contact portions and a plurality of terminal portions.

I terminal screws in said terminal portions in posit i o Ql -wiring of the receptacle. said botlocated beneath each terminal portion-so that an individual bared wire end may be connected with each terminal portion, separate clamp members within said body for said clamp members being movable by said terminal screws to grip said bared ends between said clamp members and the inside surface of said terminal portions, and meansiormed'on said body to limit to a predetermined distance the; movement of said clamp members inwardly within said body so-that as said terminal screws are unscrewed, they will back themselves out causing portions and allow teed wires tobe inserted and secured beneath said heads.

3. An attachment plug receptacle comprising an insulating body having top andbottom portions' recessed to receive contact members, combination contact and terminal members of opposite polarity received withinsaid body in insulated relation and having their terminal portions extending along opposite sides of said body, each of said members having a plurality of contact portions and a plurality of terminal portions,

means onthe receptacle body separating adja- 2 cent terminal portions on the same side of the body, a destructible element'connecting said ,adjacent terminal portions and spanning said 'separating means, whereby removal of said connect- 4 ing element makes said adjacent terminals .eleceach terminal portion;

said clamp members inwardly within said body so that assaid terminal screws are unscrewed, they will back themselves out causing their heads to move away from said terminal portions and allow feed .wires to be inserted andsecured beneath said heads.

4. An electric wiring device comprising an insulating body, a terminal member mounted on said body, a clamp member having a screw threaded aperture therein, a. terminal screw through a hole in said terminalpassing loosely 1 .member and entering said threaded aperture in their heads to moveaway irom said terminal r-trically independent 'andphysically shieldedscrews in said terminal portions-in position foraide wiring of the receptacle, said bottom having apertures for insertion or the barred-ends oi feed wires, an aperture being 10- cateditbeneath each terminal portion so that an individuarbared wire end'may be connected with each terminal portiomseparate clamp members within said body for each terminal portion, said clamp members'heing movable by said terminal screws to grip said bared ends between said clamp members and the-inside surface of said terminal each other by said separating means, te'rportions, and means formed on said body to limit 4 to a predetermined distance the movements! pressure said clamp member, and means to. limit to a predetermined distance the movement otsaid clamp rear to between said clamp and terminalmembers."

5. An electric wiring device comprising an insulating body, a terminal member mounted on said body, a clamp member having a screwthreaded aperture therein, aterminal screw passing loosely through a hole in said terminal member and entering said threaded aperture in said clamp member, andmeans formed on said insulating body and engageabie by said clampmemher to limit to a predetermined distance the f movement of said clamp member away from said terminal member aspressure is applied to the screw head in turning said screw, whereby as said screw is unscrewed it will back itself out of said hole causing its head to move away from said terminalmemb er to allow a feed wire to be inserted and secured beneath the screw head, said insulating body having a recess for passage 01 a feed wire from the rear to between said clamp and terminal members.

THOMAS w, SHENTON. 

